Warwickshire mourn the death of Geoff Hill

Former Warwickshire left arm spinner Geoff Hill has died aged 77 after a lengthy illness.

Hill made the first of his 42 first-class appearances for the Combined Services against Warwickshire at the Mitchells and Butlers’ Ground in Edgbaston in 1957 when he opened the bowling and claimed Tom Cartwright as the first of his 108 wickets.

He made his Warwickshire debut against Leicestershire at Edgbaston the following summer and went on to play 41 times for the county, scoring 247 runs and taking 107 wickets for them.

Hill took three five-wicket hauls, the best of them eight for 70 in a draw with Gloucestershire at Cheltenham in August 1958 when his victims included Arthur Milton, Tom Graveney and George Emmett.

He took six for 43 in a win over Middlesex at Lord’s later that month and six for 143 in a defeat by Northamptonshire at Wantage Road early in the 1959 season.

But Hill failed to build on his early promise and, having lost his place midway through the 1960 season, he departed from Edgbaston by mutual consent.

He remained a frequent visitor to the ground and was as a regular attender of Warwickshire Old County Cricketers’ Association functions.

His funeral will take place at Whitechapel Church near Preston in Lancashire on March 27 (12 noon).